Archives-December 2011

A major gap outspokenly voiced by leading scholars in the context of L2 testing concerns the lack of diagnostic tests that aim at surfacing learners’ underlying abilities (Alderson, 2005; Poehner, 2009). Dynamic assessment (henceforth DA) armed with the interaction tool which is construed as a pivotal mainstay of Vygotsky’s Socio-cultural Theory of Mind has been recently introduced to function as a robust diagnostic procedure to feed back into educational practices (Aljaafreh & Lantolf, 1994; Poehner, 2005; Ableeva, 2008). However, as for diagnostic assessment of L2 listening in the classroom, no worthwhile attempt has been made thus far (Buck, 2003; Vandergrift, 2006; Ableeva, 2010); hence, the need to undertake the present study. This paper has set out to explore the feasibility of group dynamic assessment (G-DA) in the classroom context as a diagnostic procedure to identify the intermediate L2 learners’ listening difficulties and the effects of G-DA on their listening development. In so doing, a group of intermediate L2 learners were recruited and instructed for a time span of two months. An interactionist, concurrent G-DA methodology guided the research design of this study. The results of qualitative analysis of G-DA protocols revealed that through continent, graduated and dialogic interactions with the learners in their Zone of Proximal Development G-DA can microgenetically uncover the learners’ sources of listening difficulties. The analysis brought to surface phonological, lexical and grammatical as the most rampant sources of difficulties during listening comprehension. The G-DA interactions also revealed how collective scaffolding (Donato, 1994) could help establish a state of intersubjectivity (Platt & Brooks, 1994) within the social space of the class during which secondary interactants benefited from the contributions of primary interactants (Poehner, 2009). Finally, on implication side, this paper recommends the use of G-DA methodology as an efficient and student/mediator-friendly procedure in the social microcosm of the classroom context to truly assess L2 learners’ listening comprehension processes and help promote the abilities which are in the state of maturation.

Teenagers in India, like many others on the globe, are likely to be at risk for contracting HIV through unprotected sexual intercourse. Yet the issue of how to help youth avoid risky sexual behavior through family communication / education on HIV/AIDS is still of serious arguments within the society. This paper studies the practice of open family discussion on HIV/AIDS among secondary school students. The research is descriptive using 480 secondary school students selected by multi-stage random sampling. The semi-structured questionnaire is used to collect relevant data. Only 50 (11%) reported family as the first source of information. However, most of the students 360 (79.7%) had open family discussion on HIV/AIDS with their family members. The study reveals there is a gender difference in practice of family discussion. Significantly higher proportion of the female students had family discussion as compare to their male counterparts. The educational status of the parents determines whether a student had family interaction on HIV/AIDS. As in the studied population it is observed that there is considerable level of family discussion this could be considered to encourage further family members.

The devastation caused by malaria in the sub-Saharan African countries has led to alarming and unprecedented search for cure, especially herbals. This has prompted the evaluation of bark extract of E. chlorantha though a known anti-malarial agent for other therapeutic effects. Thirty-two mature male albino rats weighing between 90 – 120g were randomly grouped into four with eight rats per group and administered 0, 200, 400, and 600mg/kg of the extract per body weight for 30 days through oral gavage. Results showed that there were significant effects (P < 0.05) of E. chlorantha treatment on sperm quality but weight of epididymes and testes revealed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Hormonal profile also showed significant differences (P < 0.05) on treatment but the dosage administered should be monitored. Correlation result revealed that there were significant positive relationships between sperm count and follicle stimulating hormone (0.686*), sperm viability and prolactin level (0.958**), follicle stimulating hormone and testosterone (0.687*) while a negative correlation were observed between weight of testis and luteinizing hormone (-0.740*), luteinizing hormone and progesterone (-0.814*) and between follicle stimulating hormone and progesterone (-0.704*). Succinctly, our results are suggestive of the fact that E. chlorantha is a multipurpose medicinal herb as it can be used as an anti-malarial agent and fertility booster, especially when administered at lower dosages.

This paper presents an improvement method for future smart electricity grid performance using high efficiency solar cells. The smart grid offers several advantages for the connection of solar (renewable) energy sources to provide an efficient operation and better performance of the power systems. Finite-difference time domain (FDTD) method is employed to simulate the light transmission, reflection and absorption of high efficiency solar cell structures. Simulation results show that the reflection loss is reduced with the use of nanostructures compared with the flat type substrates. Therefore, the proposed solar cells will inject more energy into the electricity grid and hence improving the overall system performance.

The study considered the transport of a radioactive solute in solution from the ground surface down through the soil to the groundwater when there is an accidental or intentional spillage of a radioactive material on the surface. The finite difference method was used to model the spatial and temporal profile of moisture content in a soil column using the ?-based Richard’s equation leading to solution of the convective-dispersive equation for non-adsorbing solutes numerically. A matlab code has been generated to predict the transport of the radioactive contaminant, spilled on the surface of a vertically heterogeneous soil made up of two layers to determine the residence time of the solute in the unsaturated zone, the time it takes the contaminant to reach the groundwater and the amount of the solute entering the groundwater in various times and the levels of pollution in those times. The model predicted that, when there is a spillage of tritium, on the surface of the ground at the study area, it will take two years for the radionuclide to enter the groundwater and fifteen years to totally leave the unsaturated zone. Therefore, it is very important that proper containment measurements be put in place to take care of such spillages since they have long term effect.

There has been growing concern about global sea-level rise and its impacts on mankind. This work therefore focuses on analyzing sea level data of Cape Coast Sea by employing conventional methods of time series analysis and extreme value theory. The study seeks to find out if there is any significant rise in the sea levels of the Cape Coast Sea that will cause flooding of the town and to make recommendations as to whether resettlement issues should be considered. The exploratory analysis reveals that the sea levels of the Cape Coast Sea are characterized by trend and seasonality. The conventional approach of analyzing the sea level data considered sitting a trend model, trend plus seasonal model, a quadratic trend model and a quadratic plus seasonal model to the sea levels of the Cape Coast Sea. The analysis reveals that the fluctuations in the sea levels of the Cape Coast Sea could best be modeled by a trend plus seasonal model. The estimated parameters of the model reveal a highly significant and positive trend in the sea levels of the Cape Coast Sea, and if this trend continues it will have serious implication for the flooding of the town. The extreme value approach in analyzing the sea levels of the Cape Coast Sea considered sitting a General Extreme Value (GEV) distribution model to the annual maxima sea levels (block maxima approach) and the Generalized Pareto Distribution (GPD) model (threshold model). The fitted GEV distribution that changes linearly in the location parameter(µ (t)) is reasonable in modeling the annual maximum sea levels of the Cape Coast sea levels and this supports the fact that the annual maximum sea levels increases over time. The GPD model on the other hand does not support a linear trend in the scale parameter (?(t)). On a whole, the estimated parameters of both models show an increase in the sea levels, and this is significant for the flooding of the town.

Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) has been used to determine the Ca, Fe and Zn content in eight sorghum and maize cultivars. The phytate content is also determined together with the phytate/mineral molar ratios in order to estimate the inhibitory effect of phytate on the bioavailability of these minerals. The results obtained indicated high phytate/mineral molar ratio and suggest thus that reduced and possible non-bioavailability of the minerals may be incited. Nonetheless the [CaxPh]:Zn ratios suggests that the cereal cultivars are a good source of the minerals and that processing of the cereals would improve bioavailability of the mineral.

Conflicting and stressful situation at work place, disturbs the mental peace, weakens a person psychologically and create complexities in social and familial relationship. A better understanding of conflict and conflicting situations improve individual’s proficiency of managing conflict. The present study analyzed the relationship of Conflict Management Proficiency (CMP) and Stress of managers. Standardized scales for conflict management and stress assessment were used for estimating the CMP and stress of the subjects from private and public sectors, for establishing relationship between the correlation coefficient was computed. Results revealed that on an average the managers had ‘above average’ CMP and ‘low stress’. There was found a significant negative correlation between CMP and stress in subjects of all the categories. Therefore it was concluded that the CMP and stress were negatively correlated, the increase or decrease of either of the factor may be impact on quality, quantity and productivity of work.

An Hepatitis B epidemic model with treatment is investigated. The model allows for the some infected individuals to move from the symptomatic phase to the asymptomatic phase by all sorts of treatment methods. The model exhibits two equilibria, namely, the disease-free equilibrium (DFE) and the endemic equilibrium. The stability of these two equilibria is controlled by the basic reproduction number It is shown that if is less than one, the disease-free equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable and is greater than one, the unique endemic equilibrium is locally asymptotically stable. By computer simulation it is found that if the growth rate of pharmacological effect of the lamivadine to the free virus increases, the symptomatic phase decreases. Numerical simulations are also carried out to investigate the influence of certain parameters on the spread of disease, to support the analytical results. Also, sensitivity analysis of the endemic equilibrium point is carried out.

The research is an attempt to analyze the essence of experiential marketing in marketing communication through the consumers of shampoo, an FMCG with stiff competition where ‘experience’ of the consumer influences his loyalty towards the brand. From the study it was found that experiential marketing plays a vital role in marketing communications.